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Heart and Soul Characters

What are some of your favorite heart and soul characters of anime?

OK, what do I mean by a Heart and Soul character? Just what it says. The character is the heart and soul of the series or movie. This may be the main character, but not necessarily so. It can be a supporting character, or even a character who is incidental to the plot. A Heart and Soul character personifies the heart and soul of the anime itself.

Some of my favorites:

Mako from Kill la Kill. This is what I call a "dumb, but fun" anime, and hyper Mako is the dumbest, but most fun. She is the sidekick to the heroine of the story, Ryuko, so a supporting character. But she dominates with her cheerful, happy insanity.

Izaya from Durarara!! and Durarara!!X2. There are no main characters here, really. It's more like an ensemble cast. But of the ensemble, Izaya stands out as the series villain who is one step ahead of most everyone. Even when he is held captive and tortured at one point, it is Izaya who has the advantage with an unexpected trick up his sleeve. Izaya represents all the corruption, evil, darkness, and degeneration which makes Ikebukuro -- well, Ikebukuro.

Shiina from Steins; Gate. This is a tough call. Certainly the main character is Okabe, and all the action surrounds him. He drives the plot. He drives the insanity. But his insanity is offset by his serious side. So it is up to Shiina to be the life of the anime. She is innocent and childlike, and just plain silly. But her supposed death drives the series into a darkness which Okabe tries to overcome. In this, Shiina's absence is as much a factor as when she is present. While it is Okabe who drives the story, it is Shiina who drives the emotions.

Issac and Miria from Baccano! Not only are these two the dumbest thieves ever, but Issac looks like David Tennant. Anyway, Baccano! has about a dozen story-lines. Issac and Miria are nothing more than the supporting cast in most of them, but at the same time their optimistic stupidity drives these stories. Furthermore, in the face of mindless violence, they remind us that Baccano! is not to be taken too seriously.

Re: Heart and Soul Characters

Again, I'll talk about Yakitate!! Japan anytime I can.

Asuma Kazuma from Yakitate!! Japan, has a dream since he was 6 years old. See, there is English Bread, French Bread, and German bread, a bread that can represent their lands proudly. But there is no Japan! So when he turns 16, he sets out to make the dream a reality, and make Japan. (There is an added pun because, The Japanese word for Bread is Pan, so it's Ja-Pan). He was raised in the country and lacks common sense about certian things, but BECAUSE of that, he tries things with bread that a normal baker wouldn't dare. On top of all that, he has "Solar Hands", meaning his hands are warmer than most peoples, and because of that, the dough ferments faster.

I KNOW most likely if this is your first time hearing of this, you're like, "An anime about... making bread? ... Really?" But this is one of my top 3 favorite shows. It's fun and hilarious. (Ep 1 isnt that great to me, but its important backstory.)

Re: Heart and Soul Characters

I am curious about the exclamation points in the title. I was wondering if the creators had any relation to Baccano!!, Please, Teacher!!, Please, Sister!!, or Durarara!!. I could find none.

But the series director, Yasuano Aoki, was one of the directors for Inuyasha and Inuyasha: The Final Act. Yakitate!! was done between the two.

I've wondered that too, especially since the !! is in the middle of the title. Translated it actually means "Freshly Baked Japan", and knowing how the Japanese sentence structure is over there, maybe to them it's different, but then I dunno why it wouldn't be "Yakitate Japan!!"